River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-05-26
How the Victory was Won.

DEAR UNION SIGNAL:-It would take
many issues Of the Uuion Signal in which
10 tell the noble act of Kansas women in
the recent municipal elections. 1t would
take quite as many TO refute the numer-
Gus falsehoods of the whiskey alliance
press sent out over the country for the
purpose of hindering the on-coming of
woman suffT ge. Leayenworth being the
great battle field, it has been the city
most maligned and misrepresented.
Suffice it to say that notwithstanding all
the reports to the contrary, the presence
of women made the day one of perfect
order around the six polling places, and
made many converts to the cause of
women suffrage. / was in my carriage
and passed from one polling place to an
other all day long, and know the truth of
my statement. Every minister of the
gospel, and all reputable citizens will
bear me out in this assertion. If dad
women" voted they did 50 quietly, and
left the polling places at once, and their
presence and votes were not more con-
taminated than those of the "bad men"
who have made them 80. But IL was
not for the purpose Of general defense
of the good women Of Kansas, that / pen
these thoughts for your numerous read
ers, l want to pay well deserved tribnte
of honor TO the colored women of Leaven-
worth for their almost unanimous vote
for temperance, law and order. | have
never witnessed greater zeal and ear
nestness, or more conscientious christian
work among women than found among
these. Their work was often done at
great personal sacrifice. The majority of
them earn their subsistence by days
work; this they would hasten to do, and
put in the remaining hours, even late at
night, visiting and carrying the gospel of
Temperance 20 others of their race. One
fifth Of the voters of Leavenworth are
colored people, and without the aid Of
these women, the saloon ticket would
have been Overwhelmingly elected. The
morning that | arrived in the city, the
Kansas City Times, which represents the
basest element in Kansas politics, stated
that "as negro men could be bought TO
vote any ticket that would put up the
money, so negro women could be bought
for $l00 apiece"
When the saloonatics saw these women
gathering IA their churches they became
alarmed and sent whiskey alliance mis-
sionaries to make house 10 house vista
tons to persuade or intimidate them to
vote against law and order. Servants,
seamstreses, washerwomen were threat
ened with dismissal, those in arrears in
rent we're threatened eviction and in one
instance a mortgage held on a title home
was foreclOsed because the good woman
would not pledge herself to vote the
vhiskey ticket. Some were offered $500
fo- their vote. One dear old lady who
could neither read nor write, was asked
to sell her vote. Her reply was ''No
marin, / am naked for close; / have nary
dress but dis old calico but / am not
naked for principle, and shall vote for
de Lord on dat day" On election day
this woman worked faithfully with her
sisters. Extending her hand as | drove
up to her polling place, she said, have
you noticed the difrence tween our folks
and de whiskey folks? Why, our folks
is all smiles, and dey look up and let de
full sunlight of heaben clear il DER faces,
while de whiskey folks tuck down DER
heads, look out under DER eyes and
frown. tell you dey got money, we got
faith, and faith wins every time. To-day
we vote and tomorrow we preach de
| funeral sermon OBJ de Whiskeyites on de
other side oh de ribber." Among these
women I found many who were well
educated, and capable leaders Of their
people. Where the heart is right the
head invariably falls into line of good
works All five Of the pastors Of the col
4
cur cause. These men knowing that
many of their people could not rea !,
quietly stood at the polls 10 see that their
members were not imposed upon, and
the wrong ballot placed in their hands.
Another pleasant feature of the work
was the bringing together of the colored
and white women IN committee work
/ The chasm Of my set" was bridged, and
knowledge Of each other was obtained
| that will be of Lasting good to all concern
/ ed. The most persistent abuse has been
| heaped upon these women by the kan-
sas City Times since the election. This
/ vicious sheet has said that they went
| like two legged cattle 10 the pcies vot-
| ing the ticket put IN their hands by the
sneaking hypocrite preacher and GOug-
arite women"
All this abuse eUmes from the fact that
the early prophecy that these women
could be bought for 81. 90 apiece 10 vote
as their husbands did" was not fulfilled,
and a conscientious ballot was cast for
their homes and against the saloon. The
deep reverential nature Of the colored
race needs only to be touched, To les1 it
/ into channels of great usefulness to hui
manity. / wish we had more workers 70
send. without money and without price,
anne 2 z these people, we pale faces have
so greatly wr0nged. To the colored wo-
men Of Leayenworth belongs no secon-
dairy honor for having rescued the city
from the rule Of the saloon, for, to-day,
thanks 10 the battle Just waged, and the
vote Of women the news came 70 me that
there is not an open saloon, brothel or
gambling den left in the city" Il is no
wonder that the whiskey alliance press
raves and hurts epithets at all who ssist-
ed in this glorious victory-In woman's
ballot they see their inevitable doom.
If HELEN u. Cougar.